I. INTRODUCTION

EdMedia is an international conference series held annually and organized by AACE, the Association for Advancement of Computers in Education. The aim of this conference is to provide an international forum for the exchange of ideas and for the presentation of new developments in the area of educational multimedia, hypermedia, and telecommunications.

EdMedia is the premiere international conference in this field and attracts 1,000+ attendees from 65+ countries. For a list of countries, see Countries @ EdMedia. The conference program will include keynote and invited talks, papers, panels, posters, workshops, roundtables, business/corporate, virtual paper sessions.

All proposals will be considered by the Conference Executive Committee. Proposals submitted are not considered binding but rather as expressions of interest. Proposal authors will be contacted to obtain more specific information for final presentation to the Conference Executive Committee.

The General Information presented below is offered to provide background information for those who intend to submit a proposal. The full proposal should contain the information requested in the Proposal Outline as well as additional information which may be requested by the Conference Executive Committee.

II. GENERAL INFORMATION

Organization of EdMedia Conferences

The organization and overall administration of EdMedia rests with AACE. The Conference series is run by a Executive Committee. The Executive Committee decides on location, date and host of the conference; appoints a Program Chair (co-chairs are possible) and (together with the Program Chair) a Program Committee; the organizational aspects of EdMedia conferences are handled by AACE with the support of the Local Organizing Host Committee.

AACE conferences are structured such that little extra burden is placed on hosts. Hosts may assist in the areas and to the degree they are able. AACE Headquarters is responsible for the overall management and administration of the conference. Most Local Committee work can be done by e-mail and phone, so there need only be one meeting if at all.

Site Selection Process

The Executive Committee encourages all potential hosts to submit proposals to host. All proposals to host will be considered by the conference Executive Committee. The Executive Committee is composed of representatives from multiple countries. Proposals submitted are not considered binding but rather as expressions of interest. Proposal authors will be contacted to obtain more specific information for final presentation to the conference Executive Committee.

A request for a bid does not guarantee acceptance. The Conference reserves the right to not accept any host proposals and instead, select a site with no host. The final decision on the site is made on the recommendation of AACE by a advisement from the Executive Committee. The choice must be approved by AACE.

AACE Headquarters Responsibilities

AACE responsibilities include the following:

Operate permanent business and membership office

Select and negotiate with meeting facility

Design, print, and distribute all printed materials to include

Call for Participation

Posters

Press Releases

Advance Program/Registration Materials

Exhibitor Packets

Session Acceptance Letters

Final Programs

Evaluation forms

Publicity

Maintain mailing lists

Coordinate international advertising

Assist Conference Committee with local and regional advertising

Schedule sessions

Coordinate pre-conference and on-site registration

Handle all financial and credit matters

Manage exhibition

Handle printing of Proceedings

Maintain liability insurance

Host Responsibilities

The host university works primarily with the AACE Headquarters through the AACE Executive Director/Founder (Dr. Gary Marks).

The following committee structure and related responsibilities are recommended for the Conference host but should be determined by the Local Host. Committees in some cases may need only consist of one individual.

Local Conference Chair responsible for coordinating the activities of the conference committees and working with the AACE Headquarters to offer recommendations on all aspects of the conference.

Local Tours Committee and Chair responsible for recommending university lab and tourist excursion tours, and providing a list of nearby restaurants for attendees.

III. PROPOSAL INFORMATION AND OUTLINE

The EdMedia is intended to present the best research, development, and applications of multimedia, hypermedia, and telecommunications for all levels of education. Therefore, attendees are primarily active researchers, developers, instructors, and commercial representatives.

Informality has priority over comfort, and a low financial environment is preferred to elaborate organization, i.e. moderate fees and accommodations, and low student fees/accommodations are more important than the reliability and costs associated with hiring professional services.

These are priorities, but of course plans which satisfy all these often conflicting constraints are preferred. Sponsorship and funding, which does not interfere with the aims of the EdMedia, is one way to resolve these competing needs. Realistic budgeting is another way.

The Proposal Outline (below) is provided as a guide to assist with the preparation of proposals. The proposal to host EdMedia should include but not be limited to the following information.

Dates

The dates for the conference should in the date range June 15-July 4, preferably the last week in June. Typically, tutorials/workshops precede the concurrent session days. Specify which days are acceptable in your proposal.

Supporting Universities

EdMedia should be hosted and supported by one or more universities, research establishments, institutes, or industries rather than by private persons. This host should be informed about the proposal and acknowledge the proposal before the final decision is made.

Support from local (country, continent) organizations for the advancement of research, development, and applications in the field are recommended, and will be solicited at the final decision.

Meeting Room Facilities and Lodging

The location of the conference should be selected for optimum convenience, availability of lodging and transportation, cost to attendees, and availability of local volunteer support. Secondary 'benefits' such as seasonal weather, recreation, cultural events, tours, etc., should also be mentioned.

Specify the costs, location, number, and seating capacity of meeting rooms to accommodate program and meeting room needs. Specify name and distance to nearest international airport and appropriate airlines, transportation costs between airport and most lodging as well as transit costs between lodging and meeting facilities, if they are separate facilities.

Lodging and food accommodations are preferred in the vicinity of the meeting facilities. Typically, the conference reserves 1200 guest room nights with the peak night of 250 rooms. Specify or estimate lodging sites, available rooms, and approximate prices with US$ conversion ratio.

Host Local Organizing Committee (LOC)

The Host Local Organizing Committee (LOC) should be proposed consisting of at least 2 names and functions/roles. The LOC can appoint additional members. Indicate any experience working with other conferences.

Motivation

Give details of local research and educational interests, and an indication of size, topics and tradition of research/educational efforts of supporting institutions. Specify your interests or motives for organizing EdMedia (enjoyment, reputation, advancing local interest, etc. are all honorable motives).

Experience and History

Provide list of conferences and their number of attendees hosted in your locations or by your organization. Detail any previous experiences in hosting such types of events, including conference name, size, location, length, etc. If applicable, detail uniques successes and activities. Also include a few reference names and emails we could contact.

Site Inspection

Please indicate if site inspection airline tickets and hotel can be provided for 2-3 AACE staff members of the site review team.

Local Lab Tours and Tourist Excursions

Specify local university or institute labs which may be potential sites for conference attendees to tour.

Also, specify local tourist excursions and sites which may be of interest to conference attendees and approximate costs.

Local Publicity Opportunities

Specify how and where the host can help to publicize the conference in the local area. Mailings can be handled by the AACE office.

Sponsorships

Sponsorship from private and public institutions and industries should be specified. The means of contribution and the conditions and likelihood of obtaining financial support should have a separate section.

Preliminary Budget

A preliminary budget containing estimated on-site costs and financial sponsorship should accompany the proposal. All mailings, printing, and administrative support will be centrally handled by the AACE headquarters office.

Costs, if applicable, should include:

meeting room facilities

AV/computer equipment

any additional local expenses for the conference

Financial sponsorship should include:

funding by universities, institutes, and industry

any other sponsorship/funding sources

When the conference is hosted, there should be at least two major financial contributions. The meeting room facilities and computers provided in the meeting rooms should be provided at no or minimal cost. This is typically the case when the conference is held at major North American hotels/universities and should be the major financial benefit of holding EdMedia at the host's location. Though not required, often the Welcome Reception and/or beverage breaks also are sponsored by the hosts and/or local sponsoring government or corporate organizations.

IV. SUBMISSION INFORMATION AND PROPOSAL DEADLINE

To help our planning, you are asked to send first a brief (one-page) note, as soon as possible, indicating that you are intending to submit a full proposal. All proposals will be regarded as confidential by the Executive Committee and the full proposal must be sent by the deadline given above.